The Psychic Staring Effect Is That Sense You're Being Stared At

You've probably felt it before: you don't see anyone looking at you, but you just kind of sense that someone is watching you. This psychic staring effect, also called scopaesthesia, is the supposed phenomenon of knowing when you're being stared at. But is it real? Studies say this effect seems to be purely illusory. Psychologist Edward Titchener wrote about the feeling in 1898 in a study published in Science magazine. Titchener concluded that the effect may just be a self-fulfilling prophecy: you feel like your back is being stared at so you start feeling anxious and twitch around. The twitching and nervous behavior gains attention, so by the time you look around, people actually are staring. We've collected some awesome videos on this topic. Watch them now to learn more.